The invention relates to electrical power connectors, and more particularly, to a snap mounted electrical power connector for a printed circuit board that connects along a common axis.
Power connectors are required to bring power to printed circuit (PC) boards. These power connectors generally include two individual power receptacles that mount on opposing sides of the PC board. Each receptacle is mounted on its respective side of the PC board using screws or other similar fasteners. The receptacles are mounted in an offset configuration that prevents the mounting of one receptacle from interfering with the mounting of the other receptacle. The input receptacle mounted on the back plane of the PC board includes three male electrical contacts that mate with a line, neutral, and ground electrical receptacles of an external power cord leading to a wall socket. The output receptacle mounted on the front plane of the PC board includes a line, neutral, and ground receptacle configured to receive the male contacts of an internal power cord. The internal power cord is soldered at its opposing end to the PC board.
Electrical leads that extend from the backside of each receptacle and pass through apertures in the PC board provide an electrical connection between the two receptacles. Copper tracers printed on the PC board connect the corresponding electrical leads for each receptacle to complete a circuit. In some cases an electrical filter is used to filter noise generated by the power supply. The filter is typically mounted on the PC board at the connection point of the internal power cord and the PC board.
Unfortunately, the above-described configuration presents several problems in the art. One problem is the physical space occupied by the offset mounting configuration. The physical space occupied by any one component on a PC board is an important concern because of the demand for smaller electronic products. The offset configuration of the individual receptacles utilizes approximately four square inches of space on the front and back plane of the PC board. Another problem with this configuration is that the electrical leads that pass through the PC board pose a danger of electrical shock to individuals working on the PC board. To prevent injury a non-conductive foam padding is often pressed onto the leads. This padding, however, is easily detached and lost. Finally, another problem with this configuration is that the PC board is easily damaged during mounting of the power receptacles due to careless workers over tightening the fastening screws.
The present invention overcomes the problems outlined above and advances the art by providing a snap mounted electrical power connector that mounts on a PC board along a common axis. A first advantage of the present power connector is that the mounting along the common axis significantly reduces the amount of space utilized by the power connector. A second advantage of the present power connector is that it mounts by a snap connection onto the PC board without the use of independent fasteners or adhesives. A third advantage of the present power connector is that it eliminates the need for the electrical leads, tracers, and non-conductive foam padding, resulting in a safer connector with lower manufacturing costs. A fourth advantage of the present power connector is that in some examples, it includes an internal electrical filter that filters radio frequency interference from a power cord. Advantageously, the internal filter eliminates the need for a separate filter mounted on the PC board resulting in further space savings. A fifth advantage of the present power connector is that the snap mounting provides a faster and easier method of assembly.
The electrical power connector is comprised of an input power receptacle that forms a first portion of a current carrying path through the connector and an output power receptacle that forms a second portion of the current carrying path through the connector. The input power receptacle and the output power receptacle are configured to connect to the PC board by a snap connection along a common axis perpendicular to the board.
In some examples of the present power connector, the input power receptacle and the output power receptacle are contained in a single housing that fits into an aperture formed in the PC board. The power connector could snap into the aperture or be connected in the aperture by loose or captive hardware. In other examples of the present power connector the input power receptacle and the output power receptacle are contained in separate housings that connect together along the common axis from opposing sides of the PC board. The input power receptacle and the output power receptacle could connect together along the common axis by a snap connection or using the loose or captive hardware.